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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

If you're a Republican in Thurston County, shouldn't all these Independents bother you?

If things go a certain way, it is possible that come January Thurston County will have three commissioners that are not Democrats for the first time in my memory.

But, none of them would be Republicans either.

Admittedly Bud Blake (elected two years ago), Gary Edwards (who was a Republican in the past and might be elected this year) and John Hutchings (also might be elected this year) could easily be Republicans. But, this year they're all Independents. And I don't think I've heard a good explanation as to why.

As much as I'd like to ask Edwards why he ditched the Republican Party, I think I know the cynical answer. Blake showed that a conservative could be elected countywide if they ran without the Republican name.

But, mostly I want to hear from Republicans. And, I know how hard it will be for me in particular to get answers from Republicans given my point of view, but I'm honestly interested. I've spent the last few weeks poking around various online forums and communities for local Republicans and have come up short.

Shouldn't conservative candidates run as Republicans? Even if they disagree with 20 percent of the Republican platform, there is enough "big tent" in the party to contain them right?

If you are a Republican, and feel so inclined, fill out this short survey (LINK).

5 comments:

Ken Balsley
said...

There are liberals and there are conservatives. They are not always Democrats or Republicans. The political parties are just a lazy way for voters to separate out candidates. I'm sure there are conservative Democrats who don't always vote Democratic just as I'm sure there are liberal Republicans who don't always vote for Republicans. Voters need to look at the issues and determine where a candidate stands. Not judge him or her by party affiliation. That's the easy way out. Voters should take time and effort to determine who they're going to vote for. Not vote by party affiliation - or lack of it.

Edwards and Hutchings are running as independents not because they are centrists whose views don't align with the prevailing two party system, but because they are rightwingers trying to avoid the stigma of running as Republicans in a left leaning county. The views of both men are well known. Mr. Edwards has run for office five times under the Republican Party designation, for goodness sake. It's a simple matter of intellectual dishonesty. Both men witnessed the success of Bud Blake's electoral charade two years age-- he is himself a rightwinger who ran for commissioner as an independent-- and decided they could successfully emulate him.

Mr. Balslsey's sophistry astonishes me. I read his blog regularly. I often find his views misguided and quaint, but he is almost always moored to reality, aware of relevant facts and opposing views, and he is usually honest. I find it hard to believe he cannot see what Edwards and Hutchings are up to. Only a person with the street smarts of an Iowa farm boy couldn't.